B83 nuclear bomb
B83 | |
---|---|
Type | Unguided bomb |
Service history | |
In service | 1983–present |
Used by | United States |
Production history | |
Designer | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
No. built | 650 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 2,400 pounds (1,100 kg) |
Length | 12 feet (3.7 m) |
Diameter | 18 inches (46 cm) |
Blast yield | 1.2 megatonnes of TNT (5.0 PJ) |
The B83 is a
History
The B83 was based partly on the earlier
- Anvil Kasseri – 28 October 1975, 1,200 kilotonnes of TNT (5,000 TJ) (B77/B83 full yield)
- Anvil Muenster – 3 January 1976, 800 kilotonnes of TNT (3,300 TJ)
- Anvil Fontina – 12 February 1976, 900 kilotonnes of TNT (3,800 TJ)
- Anvil Colby – 14 May 1976, 800 kilotonnes of TNT (3,300 TJ)[2]
The B83 nuclear components have been attributed as the same as the earlier B77.
The B83 replaced several earlier weapons, including the
The B83 was test fired in the Grenadier Tierra nuclear weapon test on 15 December 1984, at a reduced yield of 80 kilotonnes due to the Threshold Test Ban Treaty.[2]
With the dismantling of the last B53 bomb in 2011, the B83 became the highest yield nuclear weapon in the U.S. arsenal.[3] In 2022, the Biden administration announced plans to retire the B83.[4] The B61-13 is planned to replace the B83. Although its yield is lower at 360 kilotonnes of TNT (1,500 TJ), it incorporates guidance features of the B61-12 for better accuracy while being more powerful than that version to strike harder and large-area targets.[5]
Design
The bomb is 12 feet (3.7 m) long, with a diameter of 18 inches (460 mm). The actual nuclear explosive package, judging from published drawings, occupies some 3 to 4 ft (0.91 to 1.22 m) in the forward part of the bomb case. The bomb weighs approximately 2,400 pounds (1,100 kg). The location of the lifting lugs shows that the greater part of the total mass is contained in the nuclear explosive.
The bomb has a
About 650 B83s were built, and the weapon remains in service as part of the United States "Enduring Stockpile".[2]
Aircraft capable of carrying the B83
The following aircraft are certified for carrying the B83 bomb:
- F-16 Fighting Falcon
- F-15E Strike Eagle
- B-52 Stratofortress[8](formerly)
- B-1B Lancer (formerly)
- B-2 Spirit[9]
Nuclear capability has been removed from the B-1B, mostly attributed to START I & START II,[10][11] and the B-52 no longer carries gravity nuclear bombs.[9]
Novel uses
The B83 is one of the weapons considered for use in the "
The
See also
References
- ^ Blaney, Betsy (26 October 2011). "End of an Era: Last of Big Atomic Bombs dismantled". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 28 October 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f Sublette, Carey (11 November 1997). "Nuclear Weapons Archive - B83". Archived from the original on 4 February 2006. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
- ^ Biggest US nuclear bomb dismantled in Texas Archived 18 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine. The Guardian. 25 October 2011.
- ^ "Biden to scrap Trump missile project but critics attack US 'nuclear overkill'". the Guardian. 27 October 2022.
- ^ US to build new nuclear gravity bomb. Defense News. 27 October 2023.
- ^ Energy and Water Development Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1980: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1979. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ President, United States (1981). Fiscal Year 1982 Arms Control Impact Statements: Statements Submitted to the Congress by the President Pursuant to Section 36 of the Arms Control and Disarmament Act. U.S. Government Printing Office. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ T.O. 1B-52H-1
- ^ .
- ^ Pawlyk, Oriana (12 July 2017). "START Lanced the B-1's Nukes, But the Bomber Will Still Get New Bombs". Military.com. Military Advantage. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
- ^ "B-1B Lancer". U.S. Air Force. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ Coppinger, Rob (8 March 2007), NASA plans 'Armageddon' spacecraft to blast asteroid, archived from the original on 5 September 2011, retrieved 26 February 2021 (article at Flightglobal.com)